This Isn’t Queen Behavior (Double Or Otherwise)

I work in a hotel. We have several events going on in our city from high school games, to reunions, to a ton of hunters.

I get a phone call from a gal asking about double-queen room availability.

Me: “Unfortunately, we’re sold out of regular double-queen rooms. The only double-queens I have are pet rooms.”

Woman: “I’m allergic to dogs; I can’t be in a pet room.”

I apologize, and she accepts that and disconnects.

Fast forward an hour. I have a cancelation for an accessible queen room. Not too long after that, a new reservation pops up to book that accessible queen — which, by the way, is a single-queen, not a double.

Minutes later, I’m talking to a couple who have walked in and need a double-queen pet room. I notice a lady standing behind them, getting visibly agitated.

I finish up with the couple in the pet room, and this woman behind them comes up and slams her things on the desk.

Me: *Ignoring the mild violence* “Can I help you?”

It turns out that she is the gal I spoke to on the phone about not having any double-queens. She is also the customer who booked the accessible queen. I notice that she has a friend with her.

Me: “I just want to point out that the accessible room you reserved has only one bed.”

This upsets her beyond belief. She proceeds to screech and scream at me.

Woman: “You lied to me! You said you had no queens available, but the accessible one was available on the website! You lied!”

Me: “Ma’am, we did not have any double-queen rooms available. The accessible room, which is only a single-queen, only became available after a cancelation.”

Woman: “But you just gave that couple before me a double-queen!”

Me: “That was a pet room, ma’am, and you very specifically said that you were allergic to dogs.”

She begins to berate me under her breath, and then to her friend, as if I’m not standing right there.

She again turns to me and starts arguing with me about how I lied. I just can’t get her to understand. I try explaining how room availability works and how it shows on third-party sites. Nope. She isn’t having it.

Woman: “You could’ve given me a spa room!”

Uhh… what?! She specifically asked for double-queen, and spa rooms aren’t even available!

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’d give you a small discount for the misunderstanding, but you’ve booked a non-refundable room through a third party. The price is fixed and I can’t change it.”

Woman: “Again! If you were honest, I could’ve gotten the room I needed.”

Me: “Again! The room you wanted was — and is not — available.”

After about five minutes of being called a liar and complaints about things I have no control over, I finally get a bit angry.

Me: “I am not going to stand here and argue. I’m done. I did not lie about rooms.”

She pauses to stare at me. By this point, I have been insulted and berated so much that I am close to just canceling the reservation altogether.

Me: “Do you want the room or not?”

Woman: *Snapping* “Of course we do! We have no choice!”

Yeah, I could think of a few.

Anyway, I get them checked in, and I let her know where her room is. She isn’t done with the snotty remarks.

Woman: “It had better not be by the dog rooms.”

Well, guess what? IT IS! Then again, you have no choice, right?!

As I was explaining which entrance she could use, she was still snarking off after every sentence I uttered. “I won’t be going through THAT entrance, because of dogs.” “I really hate being lied to.” “They need to hire people who know what they’re doing.” And on and on… and on.

I didn’t hear from the lady or see her again all shift. Although, her friend came through the lobby and sheepishly gave me an apologetic “I’m sorry about my friend” wave.

However, she did leave a review. It was actually not bad or good — a six out of ten — but with the remark, “Customer relations training could benefit certain employees.” I had to laugh out loud!